Be My Valentine?
by ScalematePrincess
Summary: Most love stories tend to tell the same tale. An unlikely pair fall deeply in love, only to have someone try to break them apart. What if those in love had secrets? A dark past which could destroy their significant other?
1. Chapter 1

Be my Valentine? Chapter 1

It was early spring when they first met. Call it a twist of fate, or just a simple coincidence. Rin never ate at lower class diners, but the load of homework she carried on her back and exhaustion from tennis practice caused her to lower her standards just this once. She chose a clean-looking table by the window, clutching tightly to her bag as she sat down, followed by her friends.

Len entered the building from the back, dumping his school bag on a clean white counter as he clocked in. He loathed everything about his job. Being pushed around, forced to clean after people and being nagged by a superior who was a hopeless flirt were all things he suffered on a regular basis. But he needed the money, so he forced a smile as he collected his uniform from his employer, and tried not to pull a face when the man grabbed his ass. On the way to the changing room, his sister patted his back and looked at him with hopeful green eyes "Today will be different, I just know it" she said

When Rin's friends arrived, their conversation immediately took off, gossiping about anything and everything, from celebrities to typical teen drama, but she couldn't help feeling uneasy about the café. There were a few straw wrappers on the dusty floor, (how often did these people sweep? Once every century or something?) The chair she sat in creaked slightly when she tried to move and all the other customers stared at them as if they'd never seen anyone from Crypton Academy before.

Her school was well known for its elite music and sports program. The students had status and behaviours akin to those of high standard, and any commoners who polluted the purity of the school usually never lasted longer than a semester or so without becoming completely overwhelmed with the workload.

He spotted her across the room, looking around nervously and it was as if time stopped. The three other girls around her were suddenly invisible to him. She looked absolutely beautiful. Her cerulean eyes sparkled like a pair of precious gemstones, set in a perfect porcelain doll face. Her lush green blazer looked new except for a few almost invisible mud stains at the elbows and she wore a white bow in her golden locks. He pulled a small notebook from his pocket, and after taking a deep breath, approached the girls.

"Would you like today's specials?" a foreign voice asked, knocking Rin out of her daydream. She turned to look at the blue-green eyes of a four-eyed chubby cheeked boy. He seemed so delicate and pale for a boy, and that, combined with his golden hair that went past shoulder length and the fact that he actually had to work there, put her off immediately.

"What do you have that you think we'll be interested in?" one of her friends asked, running a slender finger down the length of his lanky arm, licking her full lips. She raised an eyebrow in her direction, but then again, Meiko was kind of a whore. The brunette bleached all her white shirts so anyone within a five mile radius could see the outline of her bra, and when she wasn't wearing one, she'd keep most of her shirt unbuttoned. Her lipstick had been transferred to other faces some time during the day, and her already short plaid skirt hiked up so you could just see her underwear, even when she was standing up.

Yet the waiter didn't react to her advances. Instead, he looked at his notepad and said, "Well, you all look like a group of sophisticated _mademoiselles_, so possibly you'd be interested in," he pointed his pencil at Miki, who was busy straightening her bangs inside a mirror. "A raspberry and blackcurrant milkshake or smoothie, but the milkshake is better." he turned to Iroha, who was admiring her new manicure "A sweet lemon cake with strawberry sauce and a pink cream latté."

He tapped Meiko on the forehead playfully and said "We have a speciality called Golden Desire, which I'm sure you'll enjoy. Dark and light chocolate mousse swirled together, almond caramel and honeycomb baked into a crumb case, with a hint of wine to give it that rich taste." At last, he turned to Rin, who was in shock at how he managed to successfully make every one of her friends drool. He gulped and adjusted his glasses. They noticed the sudden redness of his face "A-And for the lovely princess, I recommend the Orange Delight. A cake exclusive to here –Conchita's has been harassing the creator of the masterpiece since the day we first served it. It's on special only today. It will take your tastebuds to heaven and back, and –"

"You had me at orange! We'll take it all!" Rin said, and it seemed to make his day. He quickly scrawled down the orders and smiled an angelic smile before heading back to the kitchen.

Suddenly, the place didn't seem like such a dump anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next day, and the next, and the next, they came back. Rin insisted on getting another one of the Orange Delights, which turned out to be much better than anything served at Conchita's. But she couldn't explain why she refused to be served by anyone else except for that boy.

Going to work was now the highlight of Len's day. He'd sit behind the counter, just out of the view of the girl, watching her with dreamy eyes and holding on to every word she spoke in her sweet, powerful voice. He'd played the different scenarios in his head, trying to find the best way to ask her out, but the thought made him breathless and his throat drier than usual. One Friday, before he took her order she emptied the contents of a small bag onto the table "These are from one of the best plantations in the world. Their fruit is always the sweetest" She said, and gave him an excited look. His eyebrow raised in confusion, and the rest of his face went expressionless. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked and she giggled.

"Bake them silly!" She said and he nodded, picking up the fruit. He dropped them off on his sister's chopping board, an eager look on his face. He didn't need to say a word for her to understand what he wanted. When he went to fetch a glass of water, she took a peek at the girl and frowned. Rin was all alone. She sat at her usual table, drumming her fingernails on the table, with an utterly miserable look on her face. When Len came back, she slipped something under a silver tray and gave it to him "Take this to your girlfriend. Tell her it's compliments from the chef" she ordered and he nodded, albeit anxiously. When he left the kitchen, everyone ran to the corner where he usually spied on her, trying not to attract their attention.

He bit his lip, reciting the words in his head slowly. He stood in front of her and lowered the tray onto the table "C-c-compliments…um, of the…from t-t-the chef" he said, mentally slapping himself for screwing it up. He pulled the lid off dramatically and their faces both turned bright red. It was her usual, but something else–a fresh fruit salad in a pie crust, smothered in chocolate and whipped cream. It came with two forks. "I-I-I-I…I didn't, I mean I…" he stuttered as she reached for the napkin on the side.

"This fool really likes you. Invite him to eat. Get to know each other. You might like him back." She read amusedly, tilting her head to look at the stuttering – and flustered– boy.

He clenched his fists to the side and turned back to the kitchen. "Gumi…I-I told her not to interfere. Stupid goddamn meddling…" he mumbled, about to storm off. But he felt a soft, firm hand grab his. "It's okay, take a seat." she said with a smile. His expression softened, and he smiled back.

The kitchen staff cheered. Finally, after two long, painful-to-watch weeks, they were together. The green-haired cook squealed, swinging her arms around her employer's neck, giggling madly. "Hey hey hey! I only let you do this so all of you could concentrate on your work –"

"Shuddup and kiss me!" She giggled

Len and Rin turned their heads to the kitchen, laughing as well.

When the chaos died down, they picked at the salad, talking about themselves.

Her name was Rin Yuzuki, born December twenty-seventh. She was a dreamer, and wanted to see the world, tour with her own band and become someone who little girls could look up to. Her parents were constantly working abroad, and barely had any time to see each other, let alone her. Her nanny Galaco raised her instead, and she cared more for her than for her real mother. She was pretty popular at her school despite being young, and once made it to an international junior tennis tournament. She was _terrified_ of thunderstorms, and loved oranges and tulips.

His name was Len Kagamine, born March seventeenth. His father disappeared from their family when he was eight, leaving his sick mother to take care of him and his six sisters (four older, two younger). Most of them were working multiple part-time jobs to help pay for school fees and their mother's chemotherapy. He worked at the café with one of his sisters, who was busy sucking face with her employer to respond to her name. He also had a morning paper route and babysat for some of his neighbours during the weekends. He competed in local kendo tournaments and was the current state champion, but instead of boasting, he preferred to invest in an embarrassing hobby that, no matter how much she poked and prodded and promised not to laugh, he refused to tell.

When it was time for the café to close, they exchanged numbers and parted ways.

He was having trouble wiping the smile off his face when he walked passed his boss to fetch his bag. His sister had already left earlier to start her shift bartending at a nearby club.

He slung his bag over a shoulder and waved goodbye to the older man. "See you later Kamuii-san!" he called out, and the violet-eyed man frowned

"Len-chan, don't be so formal. Call me Gaku-nii, please" he said, dark shadows surrounding his eyes. The boy's smile faded.

Len backed away slowly, refusing to break eye contact with the purple-haired man. His fingers curled around the doorknob "I-It's okay sir, I'm fine calling you Kamuii-san…I-I don't want to be disrespectful." he said. His eyes grew wide and Gakupo gave a twisted smile.

The door was locked.

He turned for a moment, and shook the knob with both hands –which turned to be a fruitless effort "Open dammit!" he yelled as his eyes began to tear up. When he turned around, the man kissed his forehead, switching off the lights.

Len felt fingers carefully unbutton his school shirt, and lips press against his neck, trailing kisses up and down his collarbone. "I know what's wrong with you Len-chan," Gakupo whispered, nibbling on the lobe of the teen's ear. Len's bag slipped off his shoulder, rattling when it hit the ground. He grabbed Gakupo's collar, struggling to force him off. "I-It shouldn't matter…I haven't hurt anyone" he stuttered out

Gakupo's hands tightened around the squirming boy "Bull. The moment your dear, precious princess finds out about it, she'll dump you like last week's garbage and run"

"B-but I'm not…" Len gave up, seeing the logic in his words. Who would want anything to do with a freak like him?

"Not yet" Gakupo released him, letting the boy fall on his knees. "I have the right to fire you for keeping something like that to yourself when you applied, but I won't."

A beat passed.

"And the catch?" Len asked. He felt fingers run through his golden locks, pulling the elastic out of his hair and forcing him to remain on his knees. "I've heard rumours from the students in your school Len, I'm curious if they're true"

The lights flickered back on, and he found his wide eyes in line with a bulge in his employer's pants. He looked up, shaking his head in disbelief "You're kidding me"

"Do it or you're fired"

He felt tears form at his eyes, but after a few moments of silence, he nodded and sighed.

In the end, his family really needed the money, and he needed the job.

He tucked his glasses in the pocket of his schoolbag, licking his lips nervously as his fingers quickly undid and removed the man's belt. Sighing again, he raised his head, eyes meeting with the purple-haired man. With a weary smile, he said "I hope you like it, Nii-sama…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Gumi, is Len here?" Rin asked over the counter and the green-haired girl shook her head. She scratched the rose-coloured sunglasses on her head, avoiding Rin's eyes by staring at the cakes on the counter. "He's not feeling well, but it's nothing for you to worry about." She said "The usual?"

Rin nodded sadly, and went back to the table.

"So has Romeo deflowered you yet?" Meiko asked and Rin flushed in surprise. In the three months they'd been dating, she'd never really thought about it. Now that she did, she began to wonder. Len wasn't the kind of guy who tried to grab her or her friend's chest or assets, or make lewd comments about their appearances, but there were times where he'd slip up and say something he immediately regretted.

Like when they bumped into each other at the mall the week before. She landed on her rear, dropping all her shopping, and as he helped her up, he said "Pink is a good colour on you"

But she was wearing an orange sundress and silver pumps. The only thing pink she wore was…

He extended his hand, offering to help her up, but his gaze was still transfixed on her bright pink underwear.

She growled, slapping his hand away, getting redder by the second. "Why were you…what the…How dare you" she growled, shooting a death glare in his direction. He tilted his head in confusion, still staring intently at the space between her legs but when the realization hit him, he jumped back and apologized at a thousand words a minute. "I'm sorry I'm so sorry I'm so so sorry Rin I didn't mean to it was an accident I wasn't staring I mean I was but I didn't want to," he mentally slapped himself "Not that you're ugly or anything b-b-because everything about you is beautiful a-and I can't help it that I like looking at you…b-but I'd never dream of looking at you in _that_ way I mean I sometimes do b-but…" He smacked his forehead and tried again. "W-wha-what I mean is that I didn't mean to look at your…um I didn't want to see but well-um I kinda still b-b-but if you didn't want me to then I shouldn't be looking if it makes you uncomfortable and you don't want me to but I…ugh!" his hands covered his face and he peeked through the spaces between his fingers, this time making sure to make eye contact. "This is incredibly humiliating. I'm sorry, is that okay?"

She wasn't sure what to do about his apology. So, she laughed. All was easily forgiven, but even then, he was intent on making it up to her by carrying her bags for the rest of the day.

She shook her head out of the memory and tightened her grip around her soda "N-Not yet" she answered, biting her lip anxiously. Meiko beamed and elbowed Miki, who was slurping her milkshake. "Key word: Yet." She turned back to Rin "So how far have you lovebirds gotten?"

"How is that even relevant? We're barely…" she squeaked "H-he said he's willing to wait for me, and we're more than fine bonding with activities that don't involve um…getting naked"

"Woow Rinny, you've found yourself a catch if he doesn't want to pin you to a bed and fuck you senseless for hours." Meiko said sarcastically, ruffling the blonde's hair. She turned to the magenta haired girls who shook their heads "Not getting involved, sorry" Iroha said, busy bedazzling her new iPad cover with the Hello Kitty logo.

"He's willing to do other things for me though." Rin said, nervously poking her straw at the ice cubes floating in her drink.

Meiko crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow "Like what?"

"Um…I wasn't feeling so well one weekend and he sat at my bed for the entire time and cooked for me, made me soup, sang for me and we played videogames and brought chocolates and some of my favourite movies to watch" she said and the two pink-haired girls squealed.

"That's cute and all, if you've been married for fifty years or something" Meiko said through gritted teeth.

"No. It is perfect." Miki scolded and grabbed Rin's hands, looking her dead in the eyes "Don't listen to a word this alcoholic says. Your relationship is like something out of a work of fiction. It's absolutely perfect and she's just incredibly jealous because every single guy she's dated so far got her panties off before the end of the first date"

"Spoken like a true virgin." Meiko scoffed "Listen to **me** Rin. The experienced one. Sex is a wonderful thing to be shared with someone you love, and if he doesn't want that from you, then he probably loves someone else. Someone who _isn't_ going to bankrupt him."

"But Meiko he –"

"You forget Rin, that Len is a _commoner_." Meiko interrupted, slamming her hands on the table and almost knocking over the drinks "He can't afford to be with girls like us. He can barely afford to look at girls like us"

Rin crossed her arms and pouted in frustration "Then what exactly am I supposed to do about that?" she hissed between clenched teeth.

"Isn't it obvious? Break up! I can't afford to be seen around a freaking nun and a peasant!"

"If you want to break us up because you're worried about your reputation, then you shouldn't be here." Rin said firmly, trying not to yell or cry. Meiko looked at the others, who shook their heads.

"Enough is enough Meiko. Just because you can't be happy, doesn't mean we shouldn't" Miki added. The brunette scoffed and walked away.

After a few minutes of the trio drinking quietly, Gumi came by with their food. "I-I'm sorry" she said, biting her lip

"Don't be. She's a bitch" Rin replied, crossing her arms. "Just make sure Len's here tomorrow"

* * *

**So where exactly is Len? **

**Read/Review, and/or wait for the next chapter to find out**


	4. Chapter 4: Somewhere Else

Chapter 4: Somewhere Else

"Len are you still awake?"

"Yes I am Teru-sensei" He sighed, and the teacher nodded. Besides the two of them, the classroom was empty. The last few maths problems were partially wiped off the whiteboard and replaced with a crudely written 'WHENSDAI IS TEH DEVVIWL' in red, blue and green marker. He was slouched in his desk, staring drowsily at the three medication bottles on in front of him, instead of the teacher glaring daggers at him. "Please answer my question then"

"I don't really remember what I was thinking okay?" He sighed dramatically "Most of the maintenance staff don't even know how the hell I managed to get up there in the first place. I do remember looking down at the crowd thinking 'Wow, is this how God feels like?'"

The teacher raised an eyebrow, then wrote something down in his notepad. He cleared his throat "Continue…"

"I remember watching my shoes fall, and I think my bag, at some point.

I could hear Nero yelling 'I think he's going to jump!' and someone else scream 'Call a teacher! Someone get him down from there!' I think it was a Hatsune, but I'm not sure which one. I don't think I really care.

Maybe I did want to jump. Maybe I thought that a ten-story nosedive into concrete would solve all my problems, somehow fix whatever's wrong with my brain. But it's never that easy, is it?

There's always got to be those things –little insignificant things– that fog up your mind and stop you from doing something so simple as taking a step forward into thin air and letting gravity do the rest.

Like how your friends and family would cope without you.

I was –am– afraid of putting my mother and my sisters in more pain than they're already in.

Luka will blame herself, and probably Rin and anyone else I know who wears skirts.

Lily's gonna sell all my things to pay for the funeral, and eventually start working the streets again to make ends meet, because no one else can pay my cut. And I know how scared she is of selling herself again– she used to cry herself to sleep before I started working at the café.

Miyu's gonna do something illegal at some point. I don't even want to _think _about what'll happen to her in prison.

Akiko and Gumi are going to bury themselves in work and then they're all going to be too busy to look after little Yuki.

I'm always the one to tuck her in and help her with her homework. Everyone will be too busy trying to forget me to remember her. The last thing we all want is for her to end up as fucked up as I am.

And then, I guess after those thoughts crossed my mind, I realized how heartbroken and confused Rin would be if all of them just showed up at her doorstep in the middle of the night to yell at her for being a selfish hag and letting me die when she didn't even have anything to do with it.

She doesn't even know there's anything wrong with me, and if she ever…y'know I don't think it would be that hard to take that one non-existent step forward."

He looked up at the clock "Do I have to keep talking sensei?"

"I never said you had to do this"

Len raised his head from the table, an accusing grimace on his face "Then what's up with giving me detention for today, then postponing it for the rest of the school?"

The teacher pulled three small containers from a desk drawer and handed them to him. "Because a certain group of students found your prescription medication in the boys' bathroom. Again"

"Dell and the rest of the sleepless crackheads?" He guessed. He shook the bottles close to his ear and was visibly surprised to hear a rattling sound "How'd you get them to give it back?"

"That's not important. What is important however, is the fact that you stopped taking them, and you relapsed. No matter how in control you think you are of your mind, the moment you stop, everything will be warped into a broken reality and you'll end up just like your father"

Len gritted his teeth. "But I'm not my father. I know I can control it if I put my mind to it."

"Your mind _is _the problem. Are you not aware that you tried to jump off the school building today?"

"You're not supposed to comment on my actions, Teru-sensei." He growled, picking up his beaten up bag "You're supposed to listen and advise. That's what counsellors do."

Before he could leave, Kiyoteru grabbed his shoulder "Well then here's some advice. Don't make this one girl your reason to stay sane. Relationships –especially at your age– are fleeting. Remember what happened with Neru?"

Len could remember every little detail about the girl. Ridiculously long blond extensions reaching almost to her ankles, tied in a side ponytail that should've weighed her down. The thought of her constant urge to check her messages and popularity on the interwebs, her endless texting and obsession with Miss Popularity Hatsune Miku still made his blood boil. She wanted to be like Miku –same clothes same haircut same friends– she _had_ to be like Miku, she'd do anything and everything to be like Miku and if Miku had a boyfriend with blonde hair and blue eyes she had to have one as well.

But Len didn't like being used.

He let out a sigh of defeat "Yes I remember. But her fingers are fine now, aren't they?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In the half-year that they'd known each other, their relationship blossomed. Rin's parents adored him, and Len's sister's couldn't get enough of her. She'd spend weekends over, listening to numerous humiliating stories about Len's childhood, and he somehow successfully avoided speaking of his 'embarrassing hobby', but only said that it was more embarrassing than the elegant pink flower girl dress, matching shoes and roses in his hair he wore at his mother's second wedding when he was seven–which ended a year and a half later.

In mid-April, on the way home from a kendo tournament, he made sure to pick up a list of things Rin always asked for. She didn't entrust the names of her favourite brands to anyone but him, and due to having so many sisters he didn't mind strolling into a crowded department store or pharmacy, going up to the store clerk and asking if they stocked a specific brand of overpriced tampons.

They almost completely stopped meeting at the Café, and after his shift, went to places like the park, the mall or library instead. Sometimes, they'd spend hours on a couch or in line, arguing about the quality of a movie before they even watched it.

They were perfectly content with each other. Outsiders saw it, and they knew it. She wasn't too demanding, and he never tried to cross her boundaries. But, after over a year together, Rin came to a realization.

Maybe Meiko was right after all.

Len was kind and thoughtful and romantic and poetic and charming and all the things a girl wanted, but she was materialistic at heart. During school, she'd watch everyone in her class brag about what their boyfriends got them. Jewellery, shoes, makeup, trips to Paris, all the romantic things that she would most likely have to pay for if she suggested them.

He was more loyal to her than her pets were, and she could do without the extra lapdog.

So on an autumn afternoon, she went to his house, or rather the crowded apartment he shared with his sisters and ill mother. Before she touched the doorknob, a girl with long silver hair and wine red eyes opened it. She hadn't seen _her_ before. "So you're the Rin Yuzuki who owned three rabbits and an adorable puppy," She asked, almost accusingly. She wore a tight grey tank top that exposed most of her stomach and a short–too short– red skirt. She also wore a leather jacket, which she'd seen on Len on multiple occasions, and a pair of his boots. Rin gave some thought into what the girl said.

"Wait what do you mean owned?" she asked and the girl smiled cruelly

"N-Nothing. Yet. Sukone Tei, I'm…a friend of Len's. Come in" she said monotonously, extending her arm. And there it was again. The creepiness. Rin nervously shook it and got pulled inside. Time seemed to freeze when she heard the door close. The girl didn't lock it, did she? "If you're here to break up with Kitty, I won't stop you, but I can guarantee you'll regret it"

Rin turned around and found that she was completely alone in the room again. This was strange. Usually when she visited, everyone would run into the room at once to hug her, yelling at a thousand words an hour. Luka and Lily, the two oldest, would complement her clothing on their way to work, Gumi would try and make her sample a new dessert she was planning to put on the menu, Mayu would interrogate her on her motives, Akiko would ask a bunch of questions on celebrities and reality shows and Yuki, the youngest and somehow loudest, would yell out complex maths problems. But, she noticed the absence of sound had a purpose. In the kitchen, Gumi was whimpering softly as she washed the dishes. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around the older girl's neck  
"What's wrong?" she asked and the green haired girl dropped the plate into the sink and hugged her back. "Th-the doctors t-told us that they c-c-c-can't cure mom anymore, a-and we c-can't afford to keep her there i-if she's gonna die anyway s-s-so. Sh-she's gonna die…"

"I think I can help" Rin said, with a determined look in her eyes.

Gumi's raised her watery green eyes to the other girl "How?"

"My family has money remember? I can ask my parents if they can pay. We'll send in the best doctors in the world if we have to, just don't cry…please"

Gumi wailed and held her tighter. Rin didn't like being around crying people, but she awkwardly pet Gumi's back in an attempt to comfort her and after a few minutes, she stopped crying.

"Where's Len?" Rin asked when Gumi's sobs turned to soft sniffles.

"He's in the shower. D'ya wanna talk to him?"

"N-no it's okay…"

She walked towards Len's usually locked room. Up until that moment, he never let her into the room. Finally, she could find out what his 'embarrassing hobby' was. She opened the door and the 'hobby' stunned her completely. The room was painted a pale yellow, and mounted on the walls in boxes, in paintings, patterned on his bed covers and even on an origami mobile hanging from the ceiling (probably made by Mayu and Yuki), were butterflies of multiple shapes and colours. On his work desk was a model of a strange, purple one with a face –demonic black eyes and drool covered teeth–on its wings, with the tag '_Cantarella_' on it. Once she regained her composure, she took out a piece of paper from her pocket and a chocolate heart and put it on the corner of the bed.

She spent most of the previous night trying to figure out how to say goodbye, writing and re-writing the note over and over again making sure there weren't any mistakes. After hours of looking for the right words to say, she settled with one simple sentence

_'I can't be your princess anymore'._

She bit her lip and tiptoed out. Before she reached the front door, she heard footsteps enter his room, then the sound of crumpling paper. She jerked the door open, and saw Tei grinning, a dark look in her eyes. As she walked briskly out the door, she could've sworn she heard the other girl sneer "You poor damn fool…" but by the time she got home, she'd forgotten all about it.

Len walked out of his room, a shadow hiding his eyes. He gritted his teeth in a feeble attempt to hold back tears, making his way to the kitchen where Gumi was drying the last of the dishes. He moved like a ghost, and his sister barely noticed him entering. But later she did notice the sodden footprints in the carpet leading to the bin. He was too preoccupied with his thoughts to care.

Why would she want to be so cruel?

Didn't she know how he felt about her?

He clenched his fist tighter around the note, before letting it fall into the black bag. The shadows around his face darkened as he smirked.

This would not do.

This would not do at all.

He walked back to his room, making sure to lock the door behind him. Not really completely there, he ripped open his school bag and emptied the contents onto the bed, then pulled a drawer out and did the same. After removing the drugs from the pile, he tucked a bottle back into his bag, and flushed the rest down the toilet.

* * *

**Sorry I didn't update yesterday (and the day before) internet was down, I got sick, then one of my fingers turned into a blimp!**

**This story was supposed to be five chapters long, but it's been dragging on and on, and now I'm nowhere near done. But you shouldn't be complaining. More stress for me, more chapters for you.**

**Read & Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was a week before she saw Len again.

He showed up at her school, wearing the same ugly moss green uniform as everyone else, an elephant in the room with an unnervingly emotionless expression on his face, like a feral creature searching for its prey.

It was by far one of the quietest mornings in the class's history.

When the bell rang, the teacher mentioned he was a transfer student from an inferior school, and regretted what she said almost immediately when his death glare focused on her. The metaphorical elephant had turned into a blue freaking whale. To Rin's complete surprise though, he chose to sit on the other side of the room next to a window and got lost in his own world the moment the teacher began the lesson.

At lunch, he sat underneath a tree in a secluded area of the school, reading a book. She'd overheard a group of boys in her class talk about 'initiation', which they did for every single commoner who managed to make it into their precious school. She may have ended their relationship, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him in a hospital bed.

She hid behind one of the pillars of the school and waited cautiously for them to strike.

Len tried his hardest to concentrate on the novel on his lap. But his head was throbbing, everything inside him was screaming. The universe had chosen this day, out of all days to show how much it loathed him. The sky was a clear repulsive shade of blue and the sun beat down on every single visible cell of skin. He could feel the thick hideous uniform stick to his arms as he read, then rip off when he turned the page, only to stick again. The very little cool shade underneath the tree did nothing to ease the burden on his overworked lungs.

He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, breathing slowly through his dry lips. As he tried to follow the words printed in the leaves of the book, the shade seemed to grow. He looked up, and found three scowling faces. The one closest to him had spiky shoulder length mud hair, on his left was a curly haired blonde and on his right was a tanned guy with buzz cut. He found it amusing how they all had the same shade of sludge brown eyes. "Kagamine" The brunette hissed and Len twitched

"What do you want" He asked calmly, then felt the cover of the book crush his frail fingers. He winced, raising his head to glare at the brunette, who until then was grinning. "Let me rephrase that." He said, in a low, threatening tone "What the fuck do you three shitfaces want. Are you too blind to see I'm busy?" When he got no response, he bit his lip, picked up his book and stood up. He had to be on his best behaviour or else he'd be stuck back on the godforsaken medication again, and he'd been doing just _fine_ with minimum dosage.

Before he walked away, he felt something pull on his collar, and when he stopped trying to move, it tightened around his throat. He could hear laughter mocking him as he coughed and sputtered, desperately trying to get a breath in, but when that effort proved futile, he swung his book in the direction of the obstruction as hard as he could. He heard the sound of the hardcover hit against something, and that something crack, then he could breathe again. He rubbed his throat, turning around and found the blonde one on the floor, holding onto his bleeding nose.

Len watched the crimson liquid drip slowly between the teen's fingers, almost as if in a trance. The weight on his shoulders eased slightly, and he dropped the book, taking in a deep breath.

That's what the day needed to be slightly less repulsive. A little bit of gore and he'd be at ease again.

He didn't feel the punches that hit his face, and cries of vengeance hit a deaf ear.

He could taste the metallic blood on his tongue, and felt euphoric as he took another hit.

He fell limp to his knees, cackling manically as his skin bruised and bled. His laughter grew louder, and the beating stopped.

He looked up, red dripping from between his lips onto the lush green grass. The trio stared at him in disbelief as he stood up with ease. They continued to stare as his bony fingers curled into a fist, and swung to meet each of their faces.

Len put his blood-smeared glasses back on and picked up his book. He laughed as he walked over the unconscious bodies of his classmates then stopped dead in his tracks.

Rin's heart stopped. Had he seen her? His head turned slowly in her direction, but lowered towards the ground. "Tei I know you're here." He whispered and in a flash of white, the prowler appeared once again. His whole body was shaking, and it didn't take long for him to fall into her arms.

Was he crying?

She rose from her hiding place to take a closer look at him, but her eyes met with Tei's instantly. There was something different about the stalker's eyes. There were small ink-like smudges spiralling in her wine-red irises, and they felt as if they were digging into her mind, blaming her for his actions. Tei held Len's head in her hands, whispering softly, then disappeared once more.

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**Sorry again for not updating, but I couldn't type (still cant type) that well because my swollen finger got worse and now it's bandaged up. :(. I also missed a few days of school because I couldn't bear the idea of being able to go on fanfiction and not type.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The dreams were starting again

Every night, he stood in the middle of the cold street, rain plummeting down and mixing with the snow. First he took no notice of it, but then the snow turned red. He looked up to the sky and the swirling grey clouds became a dull maroon. Then, one by one, his friends, family, and everyone he cared about plummeted to the ground at a speed he couldn't follow –he only had their panicked shrieks as a guide to where the next would be dropping. They'd crash into the pavement with a loud thud, and he'd hear everything inside them break. When he ran up to them to help, they glare at him with accusing eyes and limply slap away his hands, as if he was the one to blame.

He'd watch as blood pooled around each and every one of them, and in a frantic attempt to help put them out of their misery, he'd hold their heads in his hands as gently as he could and jerk them to the side, hearing another unmistakable crack. But he had to keep walking. At the end of the road was a man with golden hair, rose-coloured eyes and blood smeared on his black shirt.

"You've been such a good boy Len" He'd say to the crying, whimpering child, holding him in a tight embrace. Len was a child again, standing at the doorway of his room at his father's house, shaking violently in an attempt to stifle tears when the man came home with a manic, dangerous look in his eyes.

He woke up, sobbing softly, watching tears stream down his face on his reflection in the looking glass. "You're not normal"

He blinked and turned around, looking for the source of the sound, but for some reason, his reflection didn't follow. When he turned back, his reflection was sitting up and glaring at him menacingly. "There's no such thing as normal, remember? There's just those fucked up like us and the ones who pick on us for it." It said and he covered his mouth. It had to still be a dream. But his reflection reached out and wiped the tears on his cheek, grinning "You sad little fuck, don't think you'll ever get over her." He cooed and pinched Len's cheek, who swatted his hand away. "Please leave me alone."

His reflection smirked, sitting next to him. He brushed a few strands of hair away from Len's face "You haven't had a piece of ass like hers in a while and she don't want you no more…I should fix that. Fix her while I'm at it"

Len whimpered at the cold touch, tunnelling deeper under his covers, which were then ripped off the bed before he could blink. "Heck, it'd fix you right up too" His reflection yawned loudly and Len sighed. It lay next to him, holding him tightly as they drifted off to sleep.

He woke up with a start, covering his ears to muffle the rapping against his door. "Nii-tan please wake up!" Yuki cried out, becoming more and more frantic as the seconds went by. "Onii-tan are you okay please be okay wake uuupp!"

"I'm awaaaake!" he yelled, throwing something at the door. Whatever it was, it shattered on impact, and silenced the child. He opened the medication bottle next to him and smiled. There was only enough for the next three days.

He never got to thanking Rin for paying for his mother's health. If she hadn't, then they wouldn't have had the extra money to afford his fees in the first place. As he approached the oversized building, his grip tightened on his water bottle and his smile melted away.

He loathed Rin's new 'boyfriend'. According to Tei, the blue-haired bastard already _had_ a drunkard whore of a girlfriend in his own grade, and was simply toying with his princess's heart for the hell of it. As much as he hated himself for it, a part of him couldn't bring himself to tell her. She looked at Shion Kaito the same way he looked at her, and knew it would kill her on the inside if she learnt the truth. But a larger part of him wanted her to know what it felt like to have her heart crushed to dust.

"Good morning Sakine-san. Shion-san" he said, approaching the two half-dressed seniors. As he walked passed them, he accidentally emptied the ice-cold water in his bottle over Kaito's head, not turning back as he opened the doors.

Len's behaviour scared her. There was definitely something horribly wrong with him, but Rin wasn't sure what yet. After she explained to the headmaster that he was the victim in the incident with the Zola group, the other boys were suspended he became eerily quiet. He didn't speak to anyone, and remained cold and expressionless. He did his work like everyone else, and responded to any threats the same way as he did to the first ones. Rumours started to spread about him as well, how he supposedly came out of prison, or how he killed a student at his old school with his bare hands. Iroha and Miki out of all people, believed the absurd story that Len was related to the fabled _Alice Killer_! After the end of Christmas break, he waited for her every morning next to her locker and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Afterschool, he'd watch her tennis practices, and congratulated her at the end. Most people who walked passed them still thought they were a couple, and it irritated her to no end. When was he going to realize that over was over?

The week before Valentine's Day, she found some time to talk to Kaito in the library. They hid behind a bookshelf in the geography section, a place where Len never looked. Rin gave one last look over the shelf before falling into his arms. "Kaito, I missed you soooo much!" she whispered, and the senior kissed her in response.

"I'm so glad you managed to ditch the stalker Rin-chan. It's hard living without you" the lies slipped easily out of his lips, as if they had been rehearsed for hours. She didn't notice though.

He leaned against the shelf, holding her so that her thigh rubbed against him "So I'm throwing a party for my birthday, any chance you can come?" he asked and a light blush tickled her cheeks. She could feel something hard against her leg and it made her uncomfortable beyond belief, but slightly flattered at the same time.

"Sure Kaito, what should I bring?" she giggled and his fingers danced around the curve of her thigh. "Just…yourself. I've been wanting you for so long Rin-chan, so what better of a birthday present than that?" he asked, giving her ass a squeeze. Her face reddened and she bit her lip. She didn't have much time to think, because she saw Len creep into the room at that specific moment. Judging by his facial expression, he hadn't spotted her yet. She lowered her head onto the senior's chest and whispered "I'll be there, text me the deets later"

Len walked Rin home that afternoon, and while he was trying to make conversation, she kept checking her phone. "Y'know, you're kinda acting like a girl at my old school," he said awkwardly, shaking his water bottle. When she didn't reply he said "Her name's Neru Akita, and she was just _so_ irritating. When we used to date, she always put her phone before our relationship–obsessed with keeping up with all the trends and trying to be better than this other–"

He had her attention "You had another girlfriend?"

"W-well yeah, a few..." he shrugged and she shoved her phone in her pocket. How could someone so clingy have more than one girlfriend?

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" she asked, stopping dead in her tracks. He took a sip from his water bottle, then said "Because you never asked. Plus, I didn't want to distract you with any of my amorous misfortunes."

"Tell me more about these girls" she asked, and he lowered his head, scratching his cheek nervously. "I… think you'd be better off not knowing about them. They weren't as perfect or as beautiful as you" he said.

When she'd given him the obligatory kiss goodbye, she felt a shadow pass behind her. As expected, when she turned around, Tei was sitting on a branch in a tree, grinning like a lunatic.

"You don't need to know about them, Rin. They're all bitches"

"Why are you following me?" she asked, dropping her house keys on the carpet.

"I'm not following you moron. I'm following my knight in shining armour. Len…" she sighed and Rin scoffed "Well he's all yours. I don't want him"

Tei swooped down from her branch and landed in front of Rin. "Len isn't just some toy you can throw out when you're done with him. Just because you're so vain you can't see when a guy genuinely loves you, doesn't mean you have to trample on his heart like a stampede of **_fat_** egotistical elephants in designer shoes. Besides, I can't change the fact that he loves you. I would if I could, but he'd hate me and that would hurt more than watching someone else do so." She tucked a strand of hair behind an ear and Rin crossed her arms. The fact that she spoke with the same dreamy tone as always seemed to make the insult sting more.

"But I've _had it _with his excuse for love!" she huffed "I want gifts. I've _always_ gotten gifts from people who love me. Galaco, my parents, my family… he's never bought me anything! Do you have any idea how humiliating it is for me? Every other girl's getting diamond bracelets and shopping sprees –you can't buy anything with love!"

Tei's mouth hung open in shock for a few moments, before she crossed her arms, a smirk painting onto her face. "I _was_ here to warn you, but now I think you deserve what's coming to you"

Before Rin could ask, the other girl was gone, and once more, she forgot all about her.

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***gaaasp!* what was Tei going to say? What's going to happen to Rin? and will I ever get yused to tyoping with a banodaoged up finger? **

**Find out in the next chapter (Read &Review!)**


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